1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates generally to identification holders, and more particularly to useful improvements and structural refinements in identification holders such as are commonly employed for identification of flowers, vegetables, shrubs and other varieties of plants.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various identification holders have been suggested at one time or another, but in each instance, these devices leave something to be desired. For example, there is a need for an interchangeable sign system for use in environments conducive to sign deterioration, and having changing subject applications and particular viewing requirements, and that permits easy removal and replacement of the information sheet portion of the identification holder, while substantially preventing intentional or accidental removal or displacement of the information sheet by small children and natural elements such as sleet, hail, wind, rain, and any other like elements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,530, to Atherton et al., entitled GARDEN MARKER, issued Mar. 21, 1978, discloses a garden marker which permits easy removal and replacement of the informational sheet portion of the identification holder. Another interchangeable sign system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,902, to Minster, entitled INTERCHANGEABLE SIGN SYSTEM, issued Dec. 6, 1994. The identification holders disclosed in the ""530 and ""902 patents, like many others known to those skilled in the identification holder art, although permitting easy removal and replacement of the information sheet of the identification holder, do not provide a sufficient deterrent to accidental or unwanted intentional removal or displacement of the information sheet of the information holder by small children and natural elements such as sleet, hail, wind, rain, and any other like elements, as stated herein above.
Identification holders which also address the long standing issue of sign deterioration are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,777,859, to A. C. Recker; U.S. Pat. No. 2,048,906, to W. R. Webster; U.S. Pat. No. 2,207,180, to B. Smith et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,125, to Buck, for example. Although these and many others successfully address known sign deterioration issues, such solutions do so by providing identification holders having multiple components. It is therefore desirable to provide an identification holder having a unitary design for use in environments which are conducive to sign deterioration and which may require changing subject applications, while simultaneously maintaining identification indicia integrity and security.
Various identification holders having unitary design features are known in the art. These identification holders offer differing solutions to the problems presented by multiple component holders by providing identification holders which are less complex in design and less costly to manufacture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,533, to Kamphausen, entitled PLANT MARKER, issued Apr. 8, 1980 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,059, to Tisbo et al., entitled MOLDED PLASTIC OPEN FACE GARDEN MARKER, issued Dec. 8, 1981, both disclose identification markers having unitary design features. Although the ""533 and ""059 patents disclose identification holders which are simple in design and therefore less expensive to manufacture, such designs require good dexterity to insert and remove or replace the identification sheet. Furthermore, identification holders using such designs still are amenable to tampering by children and the like. In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that information sheet holders known to those skilled in the art will not allow an information sheet to be flexed inward totally therein during its insertion into the holder housing while simultaneously preventing the information sheet from being pushed right out of the back end of the holder housing.
The present invention overcomes the aforesaid shortcoming and attendant disadvantages of identification holders know to those skilled in the art by providing a device which is durable, has a unitary design, and therefore has no moving parts.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of an identification holder in which the information indicia such as an identification sheet can be removed with no damage to either the holder or the sheet upon removal of the identification sheet from the holder.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of an identification holder in which the identification indicia can be quickly and easily inserted, replaced, or removed without requiring unusual dexterity.
Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of an identification holder in which the identification indicia cannot be easily removed or displaced by child tampering, the natural elements, and the like.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of an identification holder in which the information sheet cannot be easily accidentally removed, but is easy to remove intentionally with use of a proper removal tool.
The disadvantages and limitations of the background art discussed herein above are overcome by the present invention which includes a molded unitary identification holder. The holder includes a housing having a desired aesthetic shape and further having an open face cavity with a substantially fully enclosed back portion. As used herein, a xe2x80x9csubstantially fully enclosed back portionxe2x80x9d includes any solid back portion devoid of holes or orifices of any kind, but also includes any sold back portion containing one or more holes or orifices, each of which has a maximum dimension of les than one-quarter inch, which is small enough to prevent a child finger from protruding through the holes or orifice. In one preferred embodiment, the back portion has a plurality of holes, e.g. as in a common window screen, or a plurality of slots, which will prevent sleet, wind, rain, hail, and other such elements from damaging or displacing an information sheet inserted into the holder housing and which may also be used to allow some natural light to reach and illuminate the information sheet, especially is the sheet is constructed of a transparent or translucent material.
The open face cavity accommodates the outer peripheral edges of the identification sheet to position and locate the identification sheet. The outer periphery of the open face cavity has one or more undercuts of predetermined size and shape and configured for removably receiving and securing a desired outer portion of the identification sheet after the identification sheet has been positioned within the open face cavity.
An elongated stake, suitable for being driven into the earth by the user, depends downwardly from the bottom edge of the housing. The stake element includes a shank of relatively narrow width between the housing portion and the end formation, and is provided with at least one longitudinally extending rib-like formation to enhance the strength and rigidity.
In one aspect of the present invention, the construction and arrangement is employed wherein a flexible identification sheet is securely attached to the holder housing simply by centering the flexible identification sheet on the holder housing open front face cavity and pushing inward on the identification sheet thereby causing flexation of the identification sheet and forcing the identification sheet into the open front face cavity until the mounting ears or tabs on the identification sheet engage with the undercuts. In this manner, the present invention is fully assembled in less time and requires less dexterity than existing identification holders.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the construction and arrangement is employed wherein a tool such as a pencil or the like is inserted through the optional opening in the back portion of the holder housing until the tool makes contact with the identification sheet. Thereafter, the tool is pushed against the identification sheet to flex outwardly until the mounting ears or tabs disengage from the undercuts and release the identification sheet from the housing. This process ensures that the identification sheet remains seated within the holder housing, free from being displaced by small children who may be playing near the identification holders.
Still another aspect of the present invention allows an identification sheet to be easily inserted and removed from an identification holder housing, while simultaneously preventing easy accidental removal of the identification sheet from the holder housing by sleet, hail, wind, rain, and other such elements.
An additional feature afforded by the present invention is improved durability and low cost of manufacture due to the unitary design.
Yet another feature afforded by the present invention is the elimination of moving parts commonly used by many other types of identification holders known to those skilled in the art.
Still another feature afforded by the present invention is the provision of an identification holder configured to allow easy insertion of an information sheet into the identification holder housing, while simultaneously preventing the information sheet from being pushed right out the back end of the identification holder housing.